Highlights of Time & Talent Shared as Our Mission to Praise & Serve

Recap from the Servant Event on Sunday, October 7, 2012:

150 volunteers gave approximately 350 hours of their time to be the Hands & Feet of Jesus:  45 lawn bags filled, 11 garbage bags collected on Hwy 5, 732 books sorted & donated to Sky Oak’s reading readiness program, 80 breakfast bags packed for Ronald McDonald House, 42 Bday Bags donated to 360 Communities; 30 cat blankets, 90 toys & 75 feed tubes created; 18 banners, 5 table decorations & 15 bead crosses & placemats created;   handmade caps & booties sorted for Bundles of Love; fabric cut for crib sheets & diaper bags; 6 grocery bags of Prairie Grass seed collected; 14 quilts layered, 6 quilts tied.

  St. James Lutheran 4^th Annual Servant Event Day

 Held on Sunday, October 7, 2012

Engaging our Hearts & Hands with Others

Each year, on the first Sunday in October, St. James prepares a day to engage our hearts and hands with others for a day of community service. There are four stages of the Servant Event we invite you to participate in:

Prepare: Leaders and Coordinators work together choosing and preparing community service projects, learning about the mission and outreach of the organization and how we can help as volunteers.

We encourage you to prepare spiritually, mentally and physically for this day of service:

• Select a Project find something that fits your interest and ability (see list on church website)
• Learn about the organization through their website, newsletters, and other communication
• Represent our faith community “who do we say we are”? Reflect on how you might answer this question and talk about it as family and friends
• Pray for the service organizations and those they support, for our interaction with them, for the building of relationships

Action:  Participate on Servant Event Day— an intergenerational experience to grow in faith through service.  There are a variety of projects for different age groups and abilities. Wear your favorite St. James shirt—from a past Servant Event, another St James activity or “logo wear”.  Donate items needed for the service projects.

Reflect:  Service engages our hands and our hearts. Each year we have gathered after a day of service to share experiences about our day. This year we are sharing our stories and reflections in worship on October 14, 2012. Giving time during the week after Servant Event Day to reflect, journal, talk and pray will bring meaning, deeper insight and application to our own lives and our faith community.

Celebrate:  Come to a day of shared learning and worship on October 14, 2012. Participants from the Servant Event Day will be invited to share their experiences and reflections during worship through story, music, scripture, art and prayer.  In between worship services, the Adult Education Hour will host a panel of representatives from the organizations where we served, giving us an opportunity to learn more about them and ways our hearts and hands come together with others in our community.

  2012 Service Projects

including in-kind donations needeD

• ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY (for ages 12 and up) clean up the roadway assigned to St. James
• ANIMAL TOYS/CAT BLANKETS to benefit the Animal Humane Society
  • Donations needed: fleece material
• BIRTHDAY BAGS donated to 360 Communities
  • Donations needed: new items (under $5) that will fit into a gift bag:  toys, games, bubbles, play-dough, puzzles, plush animals, stickers, crayons, markers, color/activity books, drawing pad, storybooks, etc. 
• BREAKFAST BAGS for Ronald McDonald House families
  • Donations needed: Individually wrapped granola bars, mini cereal boxes, pop tarts, fruit snacks, crackers, trail mix, raisins, fruit cups, etc. 
• BUNDLES OF LOVE sort and pack “bundles” of basic baby care items for social service agency distribution 
• CAP AGENCY FALL HOUSE CLEANING indoor & outdoor projects 
• CATCH HOUSING FALL CLEAN-UP 
• CLOTHES-CLOSET GARAGE SALE to benefit 360 Communities and CAP Agency clients
  • Donations needed: Gently used clothing (all ages), including items for job interviewing 
• CRAFT CREATIONS for nursing home residents & Meals on Wheels participants 
• ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BOOK DRIVE to benefit Sky Oaks Elementary in Burnsville
  • Donations needed: new & gently used children & youth books 
• PRAIRIE GRASS SEED COLLECTION (for ages 12 and up) work with a City of Burnsville Specialist
• QUILTING to benefit VA Hospital and Homeless Shelters 
• SING AT EBENEZER RIDGES worship service
• SING AT EMERALD CREST sing & interact with residents at three campus houses

EVENT GOALS

• Create a sense of St. James presence as God's hands in the community.
• Provide an opportunity to serve others in response to our blessings.
• Enrich a sense of community and fellowship among St. James members.